South Korean President Kim Dae-jung's policy of trying to engage the North was in turmoil yesterday, with his Cabinet offering to resign after a parliamentary vote against a key aide.
The political shakeup followed a parliamentary vote Monday for the dismissal of Unification Minister Lim Dong-won, who had been criticized by opposition lawmakers as too lenient toward the North's communist government.
The vote in the National Assembly split Kim's fragile ruling coalition because its junior partner, the United Liberal Democrats, had sided with the opposition in demanding Lim's ouster.
Prime Minister Lee Han-dong and four other Cabinet members are United Liberal Democrats. The entire 22-member Cabinet submitted resignations, allowing the president a free hand to reorganize his ruling lineup. Key presidential aides and ruling party leaders also offered to quit.
Despite the setback, the president said his engagement policy offered the best hope for peace between two nations that have prepared for another conflict ever since the 1950-53 Korean War.
"If war breaks out in a situation like this, the two sides will be certain to perish together. Then our history will backtrack," Kim said.
Kim is expected to appoint a new Cabinet by the weekend, said chief spokesman Park Joon-young.
The developments eroded the political mandate of Kim, whose "sunshine policy" of pursuing contacts with the North helped win him the Nobel Peace Prize last year. This weekend, the North proposed a resumption of talks, which stalled in March because of tension with the US.
Kim was likely to find it much more difficult to win parliamentary approval for initiatives with the North. But he planned to retain the approach that won him acclaim abroad, and widespread skepticism at home.
"As North Korea has responded to our call for reopening dialogue, I'm sure talks will reopen soon," said Lim, the ousted unification minister. The policy has produced "remarkable results," he said.
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